A not so scary story
by Tozzyoby
Summary: Brennan learns to experience the spirit of Halloween with a little help from Booth and Parker. Entry for October Cullens Bullpen challenge.


A/N Nothing belongs to me

Sorry it is so long. Also I apologise for grammar, punctuation and errors. I really haven't had time to write this properly but thought I might as well give it a go despite very limited time.

Hope you enjoy

* * *

As he walked towards the Jeffersonian entrance Booth sucked in a large puff of air. The cool air brought colour to his cheeks and he took the time to appreciate the feeling of the beautiful autumnal morning. The trees around DC had turned a multitude of beautiful shades and as ever this time of year reminded him of a time of renewal rather than decay. Booth loved autumn, the seasonal feeling of holidays to come, wrapping up warm and nights in with that special someone. These days, he mused, that special someone was Parker rather than a woman, but, that made him special none the less.

Entering the Lab Booth picked up his pace. He had to be at court in an hour and he wanted to ensure that he was up to speed on their most recent case before he went. He hoped that learning all that Bones and her team had discovered would provide him with something interesting to mull over, whilst sitting though the long, and arduous, court proceedings of the day. Swiping his card to allow him access to the platform Booth took the steps two at a time bounding towards the squints huddled around some fire damaged remains. He smiled to himself admiring Bones' command and the way in which he could watch her put the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind.

Brennan looked up from the skeleton and caught Booth's eye. She offered him a small but sincere smile before turning back to the rest of the team to give orders. Booth had come to learn that interfering in this process was fruitless. He reluctantly accepted that she would get to him in her own time and that pestering would only slow the process down. Obviously dismissed Hodgins and Angela left the platform to return to their respective workstations. Angela smiled exuberantly at Booth commenting on his apparent good mood as she gracefully bounded down the steps. Booth simply quirked an eyebrow in response as he took a step closer to Brennan, losing patience in his wait and let her come to me approach.

Brennan turned her body towards Booth obviously ready to engage in conversation with him. However her eyes remained focussed on Zach as he catalogued details of damage to the victim's skull. Completely out of patience Booth waved a hand in front of her eyes and she turned to face him, hands now on hips, with a mildly amused and slightly exasperated expression on her face.

"So Bones, are you going to tell me what you have found so far?" Booth asked, his hands in his pockets.

"Well seeing as you asked so nicely." Brennan mocked as she moved to leave the platform indicating to Booth to follow.

Upon entering Brennan's office Booth took up residence on her couch and Brennan leaned against the front of her desk. She flipped open the current case file and rattled off various conclusions she and her team had been able to reach. They had established age, sex and race of the victim as well as probable time and cause of death. Angela was working on a facial reconstruction and Hodgins was analysing particulates as they spoke. Both Booth and Brennan were hopeful that this had the makings of the start of a successful investigation. As they discussed the finer details of the case the ringing of Booth's cell interrupted their conversation. Casting an apologetic look in Brennan's direction Booth flipped open his cell to take the call.

"Booth."

As Booth took his call Brennan busied herself with making notes on the case file tuning out the sound of his voice most effectively. So much so that she did not notice as he finished his call. Having said her name a couple of times Booth smirked and dialled a number on his cell.

The ringing of her office phone interrupted Brennan's thoughts. She leant back across her desk picking up her handset without moving her gaze from the file in her hands.

"Brennan."

"Hello." Booth said, his smile evident simply from the tone of his voice. "I am calling to see if Dr. Brennan has the time to finish a conversation with her partner Special Agent Seeley Booth."

Brennan looked up at Booth her confusion momentarily evident on her face. She hung up the phone, placed the file back on her desk, and planted her hands on her hips.

"Was that necessary Booth?" Brennan sighed.

"Well you were ignoring me Bones."

"Right and being the 'dominant' male in the group you need to be attention seeking in order to reinforce your own idea of self importance."

"I am not attention seeking." Booth defended, crossing his arms indignantly across his chest, although amused at her categorisation of him as the dominant male.

"I think you'll find you are Booth. But it is perfectly natural." Brennan conceded.

"Oh, well if it's perfectly natural to be attention seeking then that's ok." Booth teased, his sarcasm lost on Brennan who simply took his words at face value.

"What did you want to say anyway Booth?"

Letting out a sigh, and momentarily worrying about the extent to which he enjoyed the way in which Brennan annoyed him, Booth stood up to move towards her.

"I need a favour."

Brennan nodded intimating that he ought to continue.

"That was Parker's school. You know I have to be in court in like…." Booth paused to look at his watch "God, in like 25 minuets."

"Uhuh."

"Well I forgot to give him his Halloween poster which all of the kids have brought in for show and tell. That was his teacher on the phone and he is upset about not having it. I would take it there myself but I doubt the judge would appreciate me not showing up on those grounds."

"Well I'm sure Parker and his teacher will understand that." Brennan assured, not realising where Booth was going with the conversation.

"No Bones, what I'm asking is will you take his poster in to him? Please. It's outside in my car. It'll take you half an hour to drop it off to him and it would mean a lot to me. To both of us."

"Don't use your charm smile on me Booth." Brennan warned, knowing full well she would do as he asked without the employment of his patented charm smile.

"Well will you?"

"Of course I will Booth. At Parkers age interactions at school are very important in shaping his sense of self. The peer group has significant influence upon self esteem and a child's own ability to engage in self reflection."

"That sounds a lot like psychology Bones."

"No Booth, it isn't psychology. Historically certain actions can be seen to have meaning beyond that which they appear to have on the surface. For instance Parker's show and tell. On the surface it is a relatively trivial thing. However he is significantly upset by not being able to participate fully in the practice. This upset is indicative of the importance with which he holds participation in this ritual. It is essentially a means of achieving and maintaining status in his peer group"

"Show and tell is a ritual?"

"Of sorts." Brennan defended, feeling a little uncomfortable, as she could not read the expression on Booth's face.

"So that's a yes then?" Booth confirmed.

"I just said that didn't I?"

"I guess so Bones. Come on, I have to get going now or I really will be late.

They walked in tandem towards Booth's car and Booth swiftly extracted Parker's large and colourful poster from the back of his SUV. Brennan took it carefully admiring the depiction of ghosts and ghouls sprung from the child's imagination.

"It's good isn't it?" Booth asked, obviously proud.

"He seems to have impressive control, coordination, visual and spatial awareness skills for a four year old… and quite an imagination" she added.

"You mean he is inventive and draws well?"

Bones simply nodded still captivated by Parker's picture. "Right well I better get this to him." Brennan smiled, turning from Booth towards her car.

"Thanks Bones." Booth called after her.

"No problem." She responded as she got into her car, carefully placing Parker's poster on the passenger seat.

Booth smiled to himself watching her handle Parker's artwork with care. He was grateful for her friendship even if at times it was hard to decipher the meaning behind both her words and her actions.

* * *

Brennan secretly relished the opportunity to get half an hour out of the Lab. Although she was as committed as ever to her work she was feeling uncharacteristically drained. She had been working exceptionally hard and as the days grew shorter she could not remember the last time she had been out in daylight. The last few sets of remains had come straight to her. She had not even had a trip to a crime scene to break up her day. It wasn't healthy and she knew it. Despite the cold, crisp air she opened her car window slightly, enjoying the feeling of fresh air in her hair, on her face and in her lungs.

Pulling up at traffic lights a few blocks from Parker's school the fresh air turned smoky. At first Brennan worried that there was something wrong with her car. Having ascertained that all was ok with her vehicle she continued on in the traffic contemplating where the burning smell could be coming from. As she pulled up outside Parker's school she realised, with horror, where the burning smell was coming from. The school was on fire, flames licking the height of the building on the left hand side. Plumes of thick, black smoke rose in the air. Brennan quickly left the safety of her car her ears immediately assaulted by the frightened screams of children. Huddled in groups categorised by age range Brennan observed various teachers taking registers. Identifying the group of children that she approximated to be Parker's age Brennan approached frantically looking for Parker. She ran towards the group startling the young teacher.

"Excuse me, I am looking for Parker Booth." Brennan shouted at the teacher, trying to be heard over the noise.

"He…he is unaccounted for." The teacher sputtered, her eyes brimming with tears, "He was in this morning but he hasn't come out. We can't go back in to check. The fire is t… too much"

Brennan did not waste time trying to converse with the teacher. Instead she ran towards the entrance of the school.

"You can't go in there." Someone shouted after her. Brennan did not listen.

She entered the school through a large archway, removing her jacket and using it to shield her mouth and nose from the smoke.

"Parker." She called out, as she entered deeper into the school.."

Brennan moved along the corridor reaching a staircase. She paused momentarily to try and rationalise which part of the school Parker was most likely in. Her thought process was disturbed by the scream of a child from upstairs. With that she began to run up the stairs. The smoke was getting thicker and she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. As she followed the turn in the staircase she was greeted with a wall of fire. Offered no other choice, and with undeniably little time, Brennan pulled the jacket over her face and ran through the flames.

* * *

Parker was scared. He could see the flames on the other side of the door. He was trapped. He sat crying in the corner of the classroom clutching an animal carrier that contained the class guinea pig. He had meant to follow his teacher and the rest of his class. He knew that was what he was supposed to do if there was a fire. However, halfway down the stairs he had remembered Gizmo the guinea pig and he had run back to rescue him. In the time it had taken him to get the guinea pig the fire had crept up the stairs and Parker had been trapped on the landing. Opting for the safety of familiarity Parker had returned to his classroom with Gizmo.

He watched as the smoke billowed out from under the door, snaking up the walls and dancing along the ceiling. Parker was sure that he could see faces in the smoke. Evil monsters laughing and mocking him. He figured that as it was Halloween all the ghosts and ghouls were coming to get him; to take him away from his Mom and his Dad. Parker buried his head in his hands and sobbed. He didn't want to die. He didn't want the ghosts to get him. The smoky faces crept closer to Parker and he screamed. Putting every last effort, every ounce of fear and frustration into that scream. He rose to his feet and ran to the window. No longer afraid of being in trouble far more afraid of the ghosts getting him and Gizmo.

Parker pulled on the window trying to force it open. His little hands bloody from the force with which he banged them against the solid window frame. Suddenly he heard a big crash from behind him and a giant monster crashed through the door towards him. A big black cape covered the monsters head and Parker screamed banging against the window with renewed force. The monster grabbed him from behind and Parker turned to fight off the monster. He kicked against it slamming his hands against its legs. The monster restrained him holding him tight and Parker cried out in desperation. He closed his eyes and waited for the monster to attack him or eat him or whatever it was monsters did.

Parker was surprised when nothing further happened and soon noticed that the monster had a surprising voice. He opened one eye cautiously and saw that the monster had removed its veil. It was not a monster at all; it was his daddy's friend Dr. Brennan.

Brennan bent down to Parkers level and soothed him gently. Although they had little time he was terrified and she thought that traumatising him further was not going to help anyone. As Brennan rocked Parker in her arms gently she listened hopefully for the sound of fire engine sirens but heard none. It became apparent that there was no more time to wait and as such she began to formulate a plan.

"Parker, honey, I need you to listen to me ok?" Brennan began, pulling away from Parker and stroking tears from his cheeks. "You are going to have to trust me." Brennan coughed, aware that the smoke was beginning to get to the both of them.

"I trust you" Parker sniffed, his eyes wide.

"OK." Brennan said, more to herself than to Parker. "The only way out is through this window. We are going to have to jump."

Parker stiffened the fear evident in his features.

"Everything will be ok Parker. You just hold on to me and you will be fine."

Brennan moved briefly away from Parker and lent up to unhook the child safety latch on the window. She pushed it open wide and instructed Parker to take deep breaths of air while she ran and collected all the other children's coats.

"Why are you taking everyone's coats?" Parker asked.

"To make a nice, soft landing for us." Brennan explained as she threw the coats out the window. "Are you ready?" She asked, picking Parker up and balancing him expertly on her hip.

Parker simply nodded in response and hung on tightly as ever to Gizmo. Brennan moved to sit on the window ledge, holding on to Parker for dear life. She turned to face inside the building and held on to the window ledge hanging down as far as she could before letting go. The fall was not far, one storey only and they landed on the pile of coats Brennan had thrown out of the window. Brennan had deliberately twisted so that Parker had fallen on top of her and as such he sustained no injuries at all. Brennan however was fairly certain that she had cracked a rib and although this was preferable to the fiery death that had threatened them in the building the pain was significant.

Brennan sat up still holding on to Parker and kissed his forehead lightly. He sobbed in her arms and she instinctively rocked him back and forth shedding a silent tear of her own. Having taken a breath Brennan realised that they ought to move round the front of the school and rejoin the rest of the children and staff so that they might be accounted for. The last thing that the fire brigade would need was a wild goose chase looking for them inside the building. Brennan struggled to her knees and stood up, Parker still in her arms. The pain in her chest was sharp and persistent.

Brennan and Parker laboured round to the front of the school and rejoined Parker's terrified classmates. Their sobs drowned out by the noise of approaching fire engines. Parker's teacher ran towards them and offered to take Parker from Brennan's arms. Despite her own injuries Brennan insisted on holding on to him opting to sit down on the grass verge to catch her breath. She watched as the Firemen expertly began to extinguish the fire after ascertaining that every child was accounted for. Her admiration for their skill and bravery was fuelled by her experiences moments before. In the haze she heard the sounds of ambulances and was mildly aware of an EMT checking her over. She was told she needed to go to hospital but refused, as she wanted to stay with Parker. The EMT was insistent that she needed to see a doctor and to placate him she promised to go as soon as Booth could come and pick up Parker.

As the EMT left the mention of Booth made Brennan aware that she ought to call him to let him know that Parker was fine. She pulled out her cell but to her dismay it had shattered in the fall. She threw it in frustration away from her and let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry I broke your phone Dr. Brennan." Parker's little voice piped up, "I'll get you a new one if you want, well my daddy will."

Brennan smiled at Parker, touched by his comment. He was so much like his father, she mused, as she stroked his hair.

"You didn't break my phone Parker, it was an accident, no ones fault."

"Thank you for saving me from the ghosts Dr. Brennan."

"The ghosts?" Brennan questioned somewhat bemused.

"Yep." Parker nodded "The ghosts in the smoke coming to get me."

"Parker, honey, there is no such thing as ghosts."

"There is Dr. Brennan." Parker insisted, sitting up in her lap, his movement jarring her injuries and causing her to grimace. "My daddy told me there are all sorts of ghosts and ghouls and on Halloween they walk the earth and catch all the naughty little boys. That is why you have to be good. If you are bad the ghost'll get you and you won't get any candy at all." Parker explained shaking his head in an attempt to explain the gravity of the situation.

Brennan suppressed a smile as she imagined Booth imparting this little bit of wisdom on his son. She had no idea what she was supposed to say to Parker now.

Her dilemma as to what to say was ended as she heard a familiar voice calling.

"Parker!" Booth shouted, searching frantically for his son.

"Over here Booth." Brennan shouted as best she could.

Booth turned to see Brennan and Parker huddled together on the grass bank. As he ran towards them he noted that other than smoke stains on his clothes and face Parker seemed unharmed. However, it was evident by her expression that Brennan was in pain. She had a small gash on her head and her arm was noticeably burnt.

"Parker." Booth whispered as if almost a prayer. "Are you ok bub?" Booth leant down to pick up his son but Parker clung on to Brennan. Not wanting to pull his son away from her, Booth knelt down, and let Parker hold on to both him and Tempe as Parker let out a few tears. Booth sensed that Brennan was uncomfortable, and so he moved his free arm to wrap it around her, rubbing soothing circles across her back. At first she was stiff but in a few seconds she relaxed and Brennan, Parker and Booth moulded in to one, holding on to each other. They were all silent each comforted by the arms of the others. The silence was broken as Parker pulled away to speak to his dad.

"Dad."

"Yes Bub."

"Dr. Brennan has to go to hospital. She wouldn't go until you came to get me but the man over there…" Parker pointed, "said she had to go."

"No Booth, really, I'm fine." Brennan protested as she tried to sit up straighter, increasingly aware that Booth's arm was still around her.

Booth sensed her stiffen and removed his arm his eyes never moving from Parker's.

"Well if Dr. Brennan has to go to hospital I guess we had better take her then." Booth smiled ignoring the quiet protestations coming from Brennan. "So are you going to be a big boy and help me to help Dr. Brennan?" Booth asked.

"I don't need help Booth I am perfectly capable of…" Brennan stopped arguing as a sharp pain coursed through her. Parker moved to get off of her lap and that simple movement caused almost crippling pain that she found impossible to hide. The worry was evident in Booth's eyes and he moved closer to offer her some support.

"I'm fine Booth." Brennan muttered half-heartedly.

"Yeah, sure looks like it Bones. Come on lets get you moving. I assume you'll kick my ass if I try and carry you?" Booth half questioned already knowing the answer.

Brennan just smiled and took his arm trying to stand without seeming as if she is in as much pain as she was. Parker stepped aside and picked up Gizmo, standing the other side of Brennan reaching for her hand.

"Bub, I think Dr. Brennan is in a bit too much pain to be holding your hand right now." Booth warned. Parker looked a little crest fallen something that Brennan was uncharacteristically quick to pick up on.

"It's ok Booth, Parker's just helping me, aren't you Parker?"

Parker nodded enthusiastically and hung on to her hand tightly, proud to be able to help his new hero.

They reached Booth's SUV quickly and Booth and Parker tried to help Brennan into her seat. In a performance comparable to one Booth would have expected from Parker she sulked about being helped with her seatbelt and slumped back in her chair, bottom lip sticking out. Booth then helped Parker into his car seat and jogged round to his side of the car.

Booth started up the engine and pulled the SUV away from the kerb as smoothly as possible, not wanting to jar Brennan's injuries.

"So are you two going to fill me in on what happened then?" Booth asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Brennan paused to think of diplomatic ways to explain the morning's events and as such Parker's explanation soon filled the silence.

"Well daddy, the fire alarm went off…Mrs Pritchard told us to follow her in our pairs out of school. My partner Ben, he isn't in today so I was on my own. I remembered that we'd left Gizmo so I went back to get him…the fire came up the stairs and I couldn't get out. Then all ghosts and smoke came in the room. I thought the ghosts were coming to get me as I'd been a bad boy and not listened to my teacher like you said daddy."

At this Brennan and Booth exchanged looks leaving Booth thoroughly aware that Brennan did not approve of the ghost stories he had been telling Parker the night before.

"And then…" Parker piped up "I was going to try and get out the window to escape from them but I couldn't open it. And then" Parker raised his voice some more, "I thought a monster had come to get me, but it wasn't a monster it was Dr. Brennan."

Booth raised an eyebrow contemplating whether to make a joke about Brennan and monsters being surprisingly similar. Brennan realised where his thought process was going and pre-empted him with a light punch to the ribs. This action caused her significantly more pain than Booth, not that she would let that on.

"And…" Parker continued, "We had to jump out of the window together so we didn't get burned."

"Jump." Booth repeated. "You had to jump out the window?"

"Uhuh." Parker nodded.

"It was the only way." Brennan whispered defensively. "Plus we threw coats down to land on and I broke Parker's fall." She explained.

"Yuhuh, Dr. Brennan made me hold on to her front so I cold land on her for a soft landing. She isn't as soft as you though daddy, you are far squidgier than Dr. Brennan."

Brennan laughed both at Parker's comment and the look of hurt on Booth's face.

"Thanks for that bub." Booth teased, pride hurt.

"S'ok." Parker replied, not entirely sure what was going on.

Brennan was still smiling from Parker's comment when they pulled up outside the hospital. "Thanks for the lift Booth, I'll call you once I've been checked over." Brennan said as she moved to open the door of the SUV and exit.

"Whoa, hold your horses there Bones. I'm not just going to drop you at the hospital and run. We'll come in and wait with you."

"Really Booth there is no need for that at all. I'm sure you have much better things to do with your day than sit around the hospital waiting for me to get x-rays."

"x-rays?" Parker asked.

"They are like photographs of your bones bub." Booth explained turning to face his son.

"Cool!" Parker exclaimed. "Can I see the photo of your bones Dr. Brennan?"

"I suppose Parker." Brennan replied warily. "But they are not photographs they are really…"

"Four bones, four year old." Booth interjected, pointing at Parker with his thumb. Brennan stopped talking and Booth rolled his eyes as he exited the car to help both Brennan and Parker out. Parker was once again the easier person to deal with as Brennan insisted upon doing far more for herself than she could or Booth wanted her to.

* * *

Once inside the hospital the usual chaos of queuing and form filling ensued. Parker was very well behaved and paid strict attention to every need of Brennan's. His dad helped him go and get her a drink and while they waited Parker sat quietly between them holding each of their hands. It wasn't long before a nurse came and took Brennan away and Booth and Parker waited patiently for her to return. A while later Brennan appeared back in the waiting room assisted by the same nurse that had taken her through originally. The nurse had a kind smile only leaving once Booth had stood to support her.

"Everything ok."

"Yep." Brennan smiled "Everything is fine."

"Nothing broken?" Booth queried suspiciously.

"Oh yeah I have 3 broken ribs but other than that…"

"Other than that…"

"I'm fine. I told you. No need at all to come down here."

"Better safe than sorry." Parker offered, prompting both adults to chuckle quietly.

"Come on lets get you home." Booth commanded, amused that Parker had again taken up residence holding Brennan's hand. As they exited the hospital a rush of cold air hit them and Booth instinctively removed his jacket and draped it around Brennan's shoulders. She began to argue but to Booth's relief was soon distracted by Parker's questions that flowed from the x-ray she had handed to him for inspection. All safely back in the SUV they began an uneventful journey back to Brennan's house.

Despite her protestations both Booth and Parker insisted on seeing her up to her apartment. She couldn't fathom why, but both men seemed to feel the need to ensure she was settled before they left her. Brennan remained convinced that after a couple of hours she would be perfectly well enough to go back to the Lab and carry on with her work. Booth begged to differ.

Upon entering her apartment Brennan shrugged of Booth's jacket and placed it on the back of the chair. She then moved round and sat down surprised by how tired and hungry she was. Looking at her watch she was surprised to find that it was gone 6 in the evening and as such it was not surprising that she was so hungry.

"Hungry?" Booth asked, irritating Brennan mildly with his insightfulness.

"A bit." She replied, half truthfully.

"Ok, well how about me and Parker make you a special Halloween dinner?"

"Yeah!" Parker seconded enthusiastically. "We can make something really special."

"Booth." Brennan, uttered, resenting him for using Parker to manipulate her.

"Well if you want us to go." Booth began, moving slowly towards the door, waiting for Parker to complain.

"You don't want us to go do you Dr. Brennan." Parker asked, his upset visible.

"No Parker I don't." Brennan answered, surprised by how much she meant it.

"So we can make you a super special Halloween dinner?"

"That would be lovely Parker." Brennan answered, allowing a second to glare pointedly at Booth.

"Ok then." Booth said, rubbing his hands together. "What can we make?"

Brennan watched as they both ransacked her cupboards looking for ingredients. She ignored Booth's complaints that there was no food in her house and lay back, enjoying having company. Booth watched her warily out of the corner of his eye, reassuring himself that she was ok. He knew that he would never be able to put into words how grateful he was that she had been there for Parker. She had saved his sons life and he had no idea how he could repay her for that.

Time passed and Brennan listened to the happy chatter between father and son. There closeness arousing a certain sense of nostalgia, reminding her what it was like to have a family.

"Ready!" Parker shrieked, running round to Brennan and taking her hand expectantly. Brennan opened her eyes and smiled at him, gathering the energy to stand. Before she knew it Booth was beside her, arm around her, silently helping her as he always did. When she sat at the table she was greeted with a meal that consisted of pancakes, cut in to the shapes of ghosts and monsters, their features depicted using cut up fruit and lines of maple syrup.

"Wow!" Brennan exclaimed, as Parker sat next to her excitedly. "Thank you Parker. Did you do all this?" Brennan asked.

"Well Daddy helped a bit." Parker conceded.

"Well." Brennan smiled, turning to Booth, "I should say thank you to Daddy too. Thank you."

"It's me who should be thanking you Bones."

"No." Brennan shook her head. " No thanks needed at all.

The three ate happily together Parker chattering about Brennan's x-rays. Booth remained slightly perturbed at Brennan's ability to turn his son into a squint but resolved that that would not be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

After dinner Parker and Booth washed up whilst Brennan dozed on the couch. As Booth dried the last plate he noticed that Parker had gone over and curled up with Brennan and they were talking in hushed tones.

"Are you to plotting something?" Booth asked.

"No." They both replied, a little too quickly for his liking. Booth went to sit with them taking a cup of coffee for Brennan that she accepted gladly. Parker pulled a face to indicate his disgust at the idea of coffee.

"Did I ruin your Halloween Dr. Brennan?" Parker asked earnestly.

"No Parker, of course you didn't. We've had fun haven't we? Other than the fire." She added lamely.

"Uhuh, but we haven't done all the normal Halloween things."

"Like what?" Brennan asked.

"Like getting dressed up, trick or treating, bobbing for apples, watching scary movies – like Scooby Doo, telling scary stories, all of those things."

"I think your Dad has told you enough scary stories for a lifetime." Brennan smiled, catching Booth's eye.

"Not quite." Booth smiled as he got up.

"What are you doing Booth?"

"You'll see." He winked, enjoying teasing her.

Booth switched off the lights and grabbed a comforter of the back of the chair. He took his keys out of his pocket and turned on a tiny torch he had attached to his key ring. Slowly he made his way back towards Brennan and Parker. He sat down softly next to Brennan, exceedingly careful not to hurt her. Then he put the comforter over the three of them covering their heads. He shone the torch on his face and judging by Parker's expression his actions had the desired effect. Brennan simply looked amused.

"Parker, did I ever tell you the story about the time that Dr. Brennan and I were chased by a gang of ghosts round a cemetery?"

"Nuh." Parker responded, his eyes wide.

"Well…." Booth began, as he rested his arm around Brennan and Parker.

Brennan half listened to the scary story Booth was telling his son. Parker was very excited and squirmed in his seat prompting Booth to chastise him for knocking Brennan at regular intervals. However Brennan didn't mind. Fires, ghosts, monsters and ghouls aside she had most certainly come to enjoy the spirit of Halloween.

* * *

Well I hope that was ok. Please review!


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